WASHINGTON, November 20, 2004 — Despite the recent U.S. offensive to wrest Fallouja from militants, security in many Sunni Muslim-dominated areas of Iraq has worsened, thwarting reconstruction efforts and threatening planned January elections, U.S. officials said Friday.

Security in the so-called Sunni Triangle, as well as the northern city of Mosul, is poorer than it was six weeks ago, said William Taylor, director of the reconstruction office at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

"We're worried that in some areas — again, not all, in some areas — it would now be difficult to have elections," Taylor said, adding that it was critical to speed reconstruction so that elections could take place. Launching more recovery projects is considered vital to winning Iraqi support for the elections as well as the U.S. presence in Iraq.

On Friday, a top U.S. commander in Iraq said insurgents continued to operate in many areas and their attacks could imperil the legitimacy of the elections, scheduled for Jan. 27.

"I will tell you that the intimidation campaign that is ongoing is very effective," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. "And we see it permeates many levels of the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces."

Smith refused to endorse comments made a day earlier by the Marine commander in Iraq, who said the U.S. offensive in Fallouja had "broken the back" of the insurgency. As long as guerrillas retained the power to intimidate, Smith said, they remained an effective force.

"It's that part that we have got to be able to handle and take that away from [insurgents], so that people can freely get out … to vote and not go back and expect their families to be killed just because they go out and vote," said Smith, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon.

On Thursday, Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, offered a more upbeat assessment. "We feel right now that we have, as I mentioned, broken the back of the insurgency," he said at an American base outside Fallouja. "We've taken away this safe haven."

But the remarks by Smith and Taylor were an acknowledgment that U.S. and Iraqi officials have major obstacles to overcome before meaningful reconstruction and elections can be achieved.

In cities such as Baghdad, Fallouja, Ramadi, Samarra and Mosul, security "is worse today than it was, and we are having greater difficulties" than six weeks ago, said Taylor, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from Baghdad.

Taylor added that reconstruction was proceeding "without much difficulty" in northeastern and southern Iraq. But rebuilding Fallouja is also considered crucial to U.S. and Iraqi plans to hold elections.

Fallouja was left in ruins in the all-out attack by U.S. and Iraqi forces that began Nov. 8. The U.S. is planning to spend $100 million to rebuild the town, which had been considered a key trouble spot since a March 31 mob attack on four U.S. contractors, whose bodies were mutilated and hung from a bridge.

Fallouja was believed to be the base for Jordanian militant Abu Musab Zarqawi, suspected of carrying out beheadings of hostages and attacks on Iraqi and U.S. targets.

Taylor said rebuilding teams were still waiting for the military offensive in Fallouja to end. "Within a week or two — again, depending on when the city is cleared of people opposing what we're trying to do — we ought to be able to get the first of these small projects going," he said.

He said $8 million in U.S. and Iraqi funds was earmarked for water supply improvements in Fallouja and $4 million for the construction of four schools.

Charles Hess, director of reconstruction contracting in Iraq, appeared with Taylor and said that although "security is still a serious concern" in Fallouja and elsewhere, U.S. officials believe they can overcome it.

"One of our mechanisms to deal with that, frankly, is to start as many projects as we can, given the fact that we know the insurgents can't be everywhere," Hess said. "Consequently, the more projects we start, we are moving Iraqis out, we're getting them employed, they are doing meaningful labor, they're restoring their country. And, in and of itself, that is a very positive and powerful thing we want to accomplish."

Hess and Taylor said that particularly troubling was the sabotage of the oil industry, which is essential to the Iraqi economy.

"The minister of oil is very concerned about … the security of people repairing oil lines and intimidating truck drivers," Taylor said.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1, 2003, American officials have been frustrated with their inability to launch and finish reconstruction projects. Of $18.4 billion in reconstruction funds allocated by Congress last year, only $1.7 billion had been spent, Hess said, an increase of about $400 million from six weeks ago. He said 873 construction projects have been started, up from 703 at that time. The goal is to have 1,000 started by year's end.

However, military officials expect the surge of violence through central Iraq to continue at least through the January elections. To counter the violence, commanders are planning to delay the return of some U.S. troops, increasing the number who will provide security when Iraqis go to the polls.

"We are intent on trying to provide a secure and stable enough situation to be able to conduct nationwide elections in January," Smith said. "I will not pretend that that's not a challenge at this stage, but we will continue along those lines."

There are 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, and Smith said the number could rise by about 5,000 before the elections. The bulk of the increase would come from extending to a year the tours of U.S. troops who had been scheduled to leave Iraq after 10 months.


Copyright 2004 Los Angeles Times